Guard for punch press or the like



Jan. 13, 1959 w, MADDEN 2,868,569

GUARD FOR PUNCH PRESS OR THE LIKE Filed June 29, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1[I 1"" Mb 12-. 21 i ,l l l p l i m,-

Jan. 13, 1959 D. w. MADDEN 2,8

GUARD FOR PUNCH PRESS OR THE LIKE Filed June 29, 1955 2 sheets-sheet 2d77'or/vzega 2,868,569 GUARD FOR PUNCH PRESS OR THE LIKE David W.Madden, Oriole Park, 11!.

Application June 29, 1955, Serial No. 518,876

1 Claim. (Cl. 28754.1)

This invention relates generally to a safety guard for a punch press orthe like, and more particularly to a guard which may readily be adjustedaccording to the direction of feed of material to the press.

One of the principal objects of the invention is to provide an improvedguard for a punch press or the like, said guard being characterized byscreens formed of rod-like elements spaced throughout the length of asupport rail, and arranged to be readily adjusted in position withrespect to such support rail according to the direction of feed movementof stock to the press.

Other objects and important features of the invention will be apparentfrom a study of the specification following taken with the drawingswhich together show a preferred embodiment of the invention and what isnow considered to be the best mode of practicing the princiv plesthereof. Other embodiments may be suggested to those having the benefitof the teachings herein, and it is therefore intended that the scope ofthe invention not be limited by the precise embodiment herein shown,such other embodiments being intended to be reserved especial 1y as theyfall within the scope of the subjoined claim.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a punch press havingincorporated therewith an improved safety guard according to the presentinvention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation view of one of the elements making up .ascreen for the guard shown in Fig. 1, and

' showing its mode of attachment to a support rail;

Fig. 3 is a plan view thereof;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a locking clip for the element shown inFig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the inventionshowing a viewing shield substituted for certain of the elements seen inFig. 2, whereby the action of the punch and die may be readily viewed.

Referring now to Fig. l of the drawings, there is'shown a punch pressindicated generally by the reference numeral and having a bed 11 mountedupon legs, not shown. The press 10 includes a frame 12 extending upwardfrom the bed 11 and providing a support for a ram 13 arranged to move ina guide 14 which may be adjusted in its position by movement on spacedrails 16 upon which it is mounted, and which may be adjusted withrespect to the frame 12.

The ram 13 has mounted at the lower end thereof a punch, not shown,which cooperates with a die holder 17 and a die 18 to operate upon astrip of punching stock nited atent 19. The precise form of the press 10forms no part 1 of the present invention and is merely by way ofenvironment to explain the improved guard according to the presentinvention.

The punch of the ram 13 and the die 18 are arranged to be whollyenclosed within a safety guard according to the present invention andreferred to generally by the reference numeral 20. Such a guard includesa pair of screens 21 and 22 mounted on each side of the ram guide 14 andspaced from each other in substantially Patented Jan. 13, 1959 ice andbetween the spaced screens 21 and 22 to form a multi-sided enclosureproviding a guard for the punch and die.

All of the aforesaid screens are mounted on a bracket arm 24 extendingfrom a support block 26 held to the frame 12 by socket head screws 27.The extreme ends of the bracket arms are provided with an eye clamp 28having a pair of clamping limbs 29,29. A pair of support rails 31 areheld in a similar eye clamp 32 having clamping limbs 33, the rails 31being held in position relative to the bracket arms 24 by means of aclamping screw 34.

The rails 31, 31 extend in the direction shown in Figs. 1 and 5 inspaced relationship on opposite sides of the ram 14 and the die 18 andafford a support for a rail 36 of the front screen 23. Rail 36 isprovided at each end with an eye clamp 37 cooperating with a similar eyeclamp 38, 38 mounted on the forward end of the support rails 31, 31, thetwo clamps 37 and 38 clamping their respective rails 31 and 36 by meansof a clamping screw 39 similar to the clamping screw 34.

Each of the rails 31, 31 and 36 is provided with equally spaceddiametrically extending bores 41, 41. As seen in Figs. 2, 3 and 4 arod-like element 42 passes through each bore 41, and as seenparticularly in Figs. 1 and 5 such closely spaced elements 42 form thescreens 21, 22 and 23.

Each of the rod-like elements 42 has a sliding fit Within the bore 41and each is maintained in proper position by means of a spring clip 43having spaced resilient limbs 44 and 46. Limb 44 has a flanged opening47 therein and limb 46 has a similar flanged opening 48 therein. Thespring clip 43 is essentially W-shaped, and has a central bight 49 butclosely spaced from the rail 31 or 36 as the case may be. The twoflanking limbs portions 44 and 46 provide a means for locking therod-like element 42 in position.

As seen in Fig. 2 the bore 41 and the flanged openings 47 and 48 can bebrought into register by moving the two limbs 44 and 46 together, atsuch time relieving any friction against the rod-like element 42 at theopenings 47, 48 and the bore 41. Upon release of the two elements to thefull line position shown, the element 42 will be held frictionally bythe clip 43, and arm 44 thereof will be supported together with element42 on the rail 31 or 36.

As seen in Fig. 5, the rail 36 may instead form a means of support for aviewing window 51 made of suitable nonshattering material such asLucite. The window 51 is connected to the rail 36 by spring clip members43, and these spring clip members cooperate with a generally invertedU-shaped hanger 52 connected to a hinge mem ber 53, each disposed at theupper end of the window 51 as seen in Fig. 5.

Referring back to Fig. 1, the rod-like elements 42 of the screen 23 maybe lifted in the manner shown to accommodate the passage thereunder ofthe strip of stock 19. Alternately, the Window 51 may be placed inposition instead of certain of the elements 42 as seen in Fig. 5 andsuch a window may be raised and lowered as desired to permit the passageof the blank stock 19.

Alternately, the elements of the screens 21 and 22 may be lifted toaccommodate the passage of blank stock fed from side to side of thepress 10.

Each of the screens shown in Figs. 1 and 5 may be readily adjustedaccording to the dimensions of the die and according to the direction offeed movement of blank stock 19 through the press 10. Each of theelements 42 may be raised or lowered as desired and as described above.Each of the screens may be tilted inward or outward according to thedimensions of the punch or die, and as seen in Fig. 1 the forward screen23 is tilted towards the die 18.

While the invention has been described in terms of a preferredembodiment thereof its scope is intended to be limited only by the claimhere appended.

I claim as my invention:

In a connecting joint for a pair of intersecting rod-like elements, oneof said elements having a substantially diametral bore therein forreceiving the other element therein in intersecting relationship, meansfor holding the said other element against sliding in said bore yetenabling same readily to be adjusted in position endwise of itselfcomprising a locking clip formed of resilient material, said resilientclip having a central bight contacting the said one element, thematerial of said bight being reversed on itself at said bight to providea pair of spaced limbs straddling the said one element and in contacttherewith, an aperture in each limb through which the said other elementextends, said limbs being arranged to be pressed together to release thesaid other element for sliding in said bore and said apertures to adjustthe position of said other element with respect to said one ele ment,and being arranged to be released whereby said limbs engage said otherelement for maintaining the position thereof fixed With respect to saidrail.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNETED STATES PATENTS737,039 Stone Aug. 25, 1903 1,261,471 Bach Apr. 2, 1918 2,407,527Anstedt Sept. 10, 1946 2,503,144 Willers Apr. 4, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS826,525 France Jan. 4, 1938

